Hebrews 9:23-24 Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.
The author sees the tabernacle as a type for the heavenly temple. What is seen in the earthly tabernacle represents what is found in the heavenly temple. The acts of cleansing for the items of the tabernacle represent the purification of the heavenly things. We should not speculate too much about the reality of all this but rather see the author’s main point which comes in verse 24. This verse and the ones that follow are some of the most significant ones in Hebrews. They give us deep theology that explains why Jesus died on the cross and what affect this has on us and heaven. Jesus’ death and his blood sanctifies us so that we can have relationship with God the Holy One. What was done on earth impacts what happens in heaven. Jesus is our high priest who goes to God the Father on our behalf. He brings all the “loose ends” of the stories in the old covenant and our human needs and longings all together. The divine plan begins to make sense. For a Jew, this might answer many questions about the meaning of the sacrificial system. It helps connect the Old Testament to the New Testament.
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